Miracles
by Wushu
Summary: //HarperTrance// Trance is injured when unknown aliens try to overtake Andromeda. Harper does everything he can to save her.


Title: Miracles  
Series: Andromeda  
Pairing: Harper/Trance  
Rating: K+  
Summary: Trance is injured when unknown aliens try to overtake Andromeda. Harper does everything he can to save her. This is a response to Doxymom's August 11th Orphan challenge on the SlipstreamBBS.

Disclaimer: All the characters in the Andromeda universe are the property of Tribune Entertainment Inc., and they reserve all rights thereof.

* * *

The day had started off well; there were minimal repairs to be done, and nothing hostile within several thousand kilometers.

Harper and Trance were just sitting down to a nice, simple breakfast.

"So Trance, how did you sleep last night?" Harper asked as he began eating his scrambled eggs.

"Very well. The pillow you gave me is the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on," she replied with a grin.

"Didn't I tell ya?"

"Yeah, you did. How was your night?" She asked, digging into her own breakfast.

"Well, I got a few hours sleep after I finished fixing the Slipstream. I had only good dreams, I actually had a dream about you Trance," he said, a little embarrassed to be telling her this.

"Really? What did you dream about me?" She asked, her face blushing slightly.

"I dreamt that you were shot and dying. I was running with you in my arms to Medical. It looked as though you were going to die, but in the end of the dream you were ok," he said as he sipped his Sparky.

"That sounds unpleasant. Are you ok?" She asked, concerned for her friend.

"Me? Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just glad it was a dream."

"Yeah, me too," she replied as they took their plates to be cleaned and left the Mess Hall for work.

"I'll see you for lunch?" Harper asked as he escorted Trance from the Mess Hall, her hand in his.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied with a smile.

"Good, I'll see you then," he said as he kissed her cheek and squeezed her hand.

As the two went their separate ways, they were reluctant to release the other's hand. So they held on until they were unable to hold hands any longer, heading in opposite directions.

* * *

The aliens had attacked as Harper and Trance were on their way to lunch.

"I'll cover you!" Harper shouted to Trance.

The purple alien ducked behind him, tucking her tail close to her body. "Who are they?"

"I don't know, but there goes our lunch," he said as they were pinned down by gunfire in the corridor to Medical.

Harper shook his head, firing off another round from the Force Lance he held. "Try to take over the Andromeda, eh? Take that you ugly buggers!" He fired again, this time with his Pulse Pistol.

One of the aliens returned fire. The wall next to them exploded in a shower of sparks. Trance squealed in pain. Harper glanced over his shoulder, cursed, and fired salvo after salvo with Force Lance and Pulse Pistol. The aliens retreated to regroup.

Harper turned and fell to his knees. "Trance?" he whispered to her still form. "No, NO!" He patted her cheeks. When she did not rouse he lifted her gently into his arms and made a mad dash for medical, praying the short distance was clear.

Harper couldn't get his mind off the fact that Trance was hurt, possibly dying. His mind didn't even register that this is exactly what he had dreamed.

When he arrived in Medical, Rommie's hologram appeared before him.

"Put her on the bed, quickly. What happened, my internal sensors were offline," the hologram asked as Harper placed Trance on a bed.

"I don't know, one minute we were fighting the intruders, the next minute the wall explodes and Trance is on the ground," Harper explained in a rush.

"I see," The hologram replied, her internal sensors having been damaged during the battle, Dylan had just managed to get them back online, along with the internal defenses.

"We have them on the run now, Harper," Rommie said, trying to cheer up the engineer.

"Good, kill them," Harper said as the anger built up inside of him.

"Harper, you know..." Rommie was cut off by Harper's near violent outburst.

"Rommie, they may have killed Trance! I for one am not going to let them live another moment!" He had removed his blaster and started for the door when Rommie called him.

"Harper?" She said.

"What?" He spat, turning towards her. Those brief seconds were enough for her to lock the doors and have a nearby droid inject him. The syringe contained a powerful sleeping agent; Harper hit the floor seconds after he was injected.

As the droid picked him up and placed him on a bed beside Trance, Rommie opened the doors to allow Dylan to enter.

"Rommie? What happened here?" He asked when he saw Trance and Harper.

"Trance was injured, and Harper was going to go hunting," She replied as her avatar appeared and explained further.

"Harper was going to hunt down and kill all of our uninvited quests. It's their fault that Trance is hurt. Harper sort of … snapped after he brought Trance in. I had a droid inject him and put him to sleep. He'll be asleep for a few hours," she told her Captain.

"Understood. What is Trance's condition?" Dylan asked moving to stand beside the purple girl, worry etched on his face.

"Not good, I have no way of telling what happened to her or how to treat her. I've never been able to get a scan of her, I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Just do your best Rommie, that's all I can ask," Dylan switched his gaze from Trance to Harper, sighing in resignation. He wasn't pleased by the fact that two of his crewmen were out of commission.

"Keep me informed of any changes, from both of them," Dylan said as he left Medical. Rommie went to work trying to help Trance. Harper continued to sleep off the drug.

* * *

"Trance? Trance, where are you?" Harper called into the blackness around him.

Receiving no reply he called again.

"Trance? Can you hear me? Are you there Trance?" Harper sighed in frustration; he wasn't going to find her like this. He started walking forward, into the pitch-blackness, looking for his friend.

He had walked for what seemed to be hours, when he finally saw, there in the distance, a light. He started running, the light growing closer and closer. When he had reached the point that he could see the being laying in the light, Harper froze.

"Trance!" He yelled, trying to rouse her, it didn't work.

Harper walked towards the light, but was stopped a mere twenty feet from Trance. Harper started running towards her, but she stayed in the same spot. He finally gave up and sat on the ground, staring at the purple girl lying in the light.

Every once in awhile, Harper would call her name, hoping to get some response from her, praying to the Divine that she'd wake.

Trance was aware of only a few things: one being the fact that something was wrong, the other was her name being called, over and over again.

After a few minutes, Trance remembered what happened. She and Harper had been pinned down in the corridor by the aliens. The wall beside her exploded and she squealed in pain, then everything went dark.

She was again aware of her name being called; her mind identified the voice as Harper's. As she slowly became aware, she realized that something bad had happened to her. She was in the black space there her people had always spoken about.

'The Place' as it was called, was something that her people used to reach out the others when they were badly hurt. She had reached out to Harper.

"But how can that be? He's human, not only that, he needs to be asleep. Harper never sleeps. What happened to him?" Her mind asked questions that she couldn't answer.

Instead of just laying there asking herself questions, Trance struggled to open her eyes. After a few tries she succeeded. She turned her head to look at where Harper's voice was coming from.

Harper had no idea how long he had been sitting and calling Trance's name, hoping to wake her. After what had seemed an eternity, a bright, blinding light appeared overhead, casting Harper into the same light as Trance.

When he looked over at Trance, he saw that her head was turned towards him. He suddenly realized that she had put the light on him. Harper struggled to his feet and tried to run to Trance, but he still couldn't move any further.

"Trance," he called to her. He saw her head move again.

"Trance, please wake up. You're starting to worry me," he said as panic entered his voice.

"Harper…?" She said weakly, not even sure if he heard. Harper had heard, and he broke into a huge smile.

"Trance! You don't know how good it is to hear your voice. You had me worried, my sparkly babe," he said as he looked at her.

Suddenly the barrier that was holding him back dissolved, allowing him to finally run to Trance's side.

When Harper reached her side, he grabbed her and pulled her into the biggest hug that she either had ever given or received, Trance smiled at him.

"Hey," she said, still a little weak.

"Hey," he replied as he held her in his arms. "Where are we Trance?" He asked as he looked around at the nothingness.

"We're in my mind, Harper," she said, looking up at him, happy to see her friend.

* * *

Back in the real world, Rommie was continuing to monitor Harper and Trance. Nothing seemed abnormal, but looks can be deceiving.

Looking down at her panel, Rommie noticed that Trance had more brain activity then she should have. Rommie was worried, but decided to watch her vitals a bit more.

Several minutes passed, Rommie looked to her panel again. The vitals were the same as before.

When Rommie looked down to her panel yet again, Harper's body convulsed and was thrown to the floor. Several seconds later Trance followed suit, landing on top of Harper.

Rommie quickly got them back to their beds and strapped them down. She then called Dylan; she had some new figures on her monitor.

"Dylan, report to Medical right away," she called over the Comm.

At the same time that Rommie had recorded the figures that had her worried, Trance was still in Harper's arms.

* * *

"So, let me get this right," Harper said, when Trance finished explaining where they were. "We are in your mind, in a place that your people use when they are seriously hurt. You brought me here when Rommie drugged me, and you want me to help you. Did I miss anything?"

"Only the fact that no one outside of my species has ever performed this. It could very well kill you Harper," she told him, looking straight into his eyes, straight into his soul.

Harper looked back into Trance's eyes, hoping to find something there. He did, but what he found shocked him.

When he looked into Trance's eyes, he saw all that had ever happened to her since they had met. He saw everything from when she had joined the _Maru_ to when she had been hurt in the firefight. He saw all the emotions she had felt, from her joining Beka to the pain she had experienced when the wall exploded.

When Trance looked into Harper's eyes, she saw all the moments they had spent together, from the time she joined the crew up until she got hurt. She knew exactly what he had felt when he met her, and she knew what he felt when she got hurt.

Trance didn't bother to tell him that this place had a permanent effect on those who visit it. 'The place' somehow joined together parts of their souls, forever linking them to the other. Trance didn't want to tell Harper this now; he may find a way to leave and leave her there to die.

"Wait, this is Harper, my best friend! He wouldn't do that; he'd stay here with me. I know it!" Trance thought to herself.

"Harper," She said out loud, "There's something I have to tell you," she said, finding the strength to sit up and look at him.

"What is it Trance? You can tell me anything, you know," he told her as she pulled herself up to lean against Harper.

"Yeah, I do know. Harper, there's something about this place I have to tell you. I can't get out of here on my own; I need your help to do it. If I don't get out within 12 hours of coming here, I'll die," she admitted.

"What is it Trance?" He asked her again, even more concerned.

"Um, there is a ritual that can be performed, but there's a catch to it."

"What's the catch?" Harper asked, not once considering if it could be dangerous. He wanted his friend back.

"Well, the only reason that you're here is because you're asleep, and you're the one that my soul called to help me. The catch is that if we do the ritual, parts of our souls will be joined forever, separable only in death," she said as she looked at his face, watching his eyes for emotions.

"What do I have to do?" He asked after several seconds' consideration.

To Trance, the second's had seemed an eternity.

"It could be dangerous, no human has ever performed this before," she said, trying to give him a way out if he wanted it. The only thing Harper wanted was her, healthy and smiling.

"What … do … I … have … to … do?" He said very slowly, taking her hand in his and kissing it.

"The first thing is that we physically need to be touching, one of us has to be on the top, the other on the bottom," she said shyly, unable to look at him.

"So, you're saying that we have to lay on each other to make this thing work?" Harper repeated, not sure that he heard it right the first time. Trance couldn't be serious, could she?

"Yes, that's right," she said, nodding her head.

"Why, why do we have to be touching like that?" He asked, a little confused.

"There is something about being in physical connection that allows our souls to be joined, one person on top and the other on the bottom is just the easiest way to do it. Are you sure you want to do this, there is a chance that one or both of us may die," she explained.

"Trance, that is a chance I'm willing to take. Besides it's no problem, all I have to do is wake up and I'll take care of it, this isn't exactly something I thought I'd have to do today, but hey, I'm flexible. I can just see my log entry; 'Laid on top of Trance, saved her life,' sure sounds strange. I'll just have to get you out of Medical, that may prove to be a problem," he said as he thought about how to fix it.

"I just had an idea, but first I need to wake up. How can I get back here when I'm ready?" He asked as he continued to hold her hand.

"All you have to do is fall asleep again, I'll bring you here. But remember, you need to do it before a day passes, otherwise I'll die," she said as he moved to her side.

"Hey, don't worry about that Trance, there is no freaking way that I'll let my purple princess die. Now all I have to do is figure out how to wake up," he said as he put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry Trance, I'll have you back in no time," he told her as he started to fade away.

"Hmmm, I guess I'm waking up. I'll be back Trance, I promise," he said right before he finally faded.

"I'll be waiting," she told him.

* * *

Rommie was startled when Harper just sat up. She was at his side in a heartbeat.

"Harper? How do you feel?" She asked as she ran a scanner over him.

"Fine, I'm fine," he said as he pushed her hand away. "I saw Trance Rommie, I talked to her, and she told me what I can do to save her," he told the android.

"Harper, Trance is in a coma, she's almost brain dead. There is no way you could have talked to her. She hasn't moved since you brought her in."

"No, I refuse to accept that she's dying. Rommie, how long have I been a sleep? You need to tell me, if too much time has gone by it may be too late," he said, looking over at his friend.

"You've been asleep for 6 hours," she replied.

"Great, I still have time," he said with a smile as he jumped off the bed.

"Harper, where are you going?" Rommie asked as he started for the door.

"I'm going to save Trance Rommie, just stay out of my way," he said as he held up a hand to her.

"I won't stop you, but tell me what you're going to do," she asked.

"I'm going to get closer to Trance," he said cryptically as he left Medical.

* * *

Harper had made it all the way back to his machine shop without meeting anyone else. When he entered, he gave his workbench a fleeting glance. Not seeing what he wanted, he moved on.

After searching the drawers and cabinets for over an hour, Harper finally found what he was looking for, a special data cable he had made to interface with the medial equipment.

He had made the cable a few months back when one of the beds in Medical had malfunctioned. The bed had been doing an impression of a wild horse, trying to kick and buck all those that got near. The cable had allowed him to directly interface with the bed's computer and find out what the problem was. The problem had turned out to be a glitch in its mainframe, causing the hydraulics to go haywire.

This tiny data wire and the small device he now held in his hands would hopefully save Trance's life.

After another hour of searching the machine shop, he had finally found the neuro-transceiver. Harper had built the device from a dream he'd had. Its job was to act like the beds in Medical, monitoring patients' vitals and other information and sending them to the computer. The thing was it could do it from any room on Andromeda and up to a kilometer away from the ship. Now all he had to do was interface with the device while it monitored Trance, then they could perform the ritual that would save her, hopefully.

Sadly, Harper wouldn't be able to leave for several more hours. Turning around, he found himself face to face with the aliens that had invaded, having masked their lifesigns from Rommie.

"Ah, Mr. Harper," the leader purred, "I am so happy that you could join us."

"What do you want you ugly, belly crawling, Nightsider?" Harper spat.

"You, Mr. Harper, I want you. You're the reason that we invaded the ship," he said, as his silky voice remained calm. "You fetch quite a price on the black market."

The aliens that had invaded were not Nightsiders. In fact they weren't a species that Harper had ever seen before, and he thought he'd seen them all. They were roughly 5' 4" and were humanoid in shape. They had four eyes, one mouth, a nose, and ear slits. They looked like mutated lizards, their skin was scaly, and they had what looked to once have been a tail, however they spoke with normal tongues. They were varying shades of green and had no hair at all.

"Who are you?" Harper asked when the shock had died down.

"We are called the Alacarnians, we come from the planet Alacar in the outer reaches of the Andromeda Galaxy," the leader responded.

"What do you want with me?" Harper asked as he was forced to sit on his bed while two armed Alacarnians looked on. He eyed them in contempt.

'This is keeping me from helping Trance,' he thought as he took in the situation.

"My dear Harper, we want you because you're the best engineer in the Known Worlds," the leader replied.

Harper was shocked. They invaded Andromeda, almost killed Trance, and caused who knows what trouble, because he's the best engineer in the known Worlds?

Harper started to laugh; the situation was so funny that he couldn't help himself. His captors just looked at each other, what was he doing?

As quickly as the laughter started, it stopped. Harper's expression turned deadly.

"Do you know what you've done?" He asked as he sized up the three aliens, all that remained from the original twenty that had first attacked. "You've injured my best friend, the only girl that I've ever truly loved is dying with every passing minute. And you tell me that you did all that, just to get me. Now, I can understand how my skills would be very valuable, but YOU hurt the girl I love. That is inexcusable!" Harper said as he slowly stood, hands bound in front of him, his eyes a raging inferno of anger.

The three aliens were so frightened by the look in his eyes that they instinctively took a step back for every one he took forward. Eventually they were backed against the wall, their guns forgotten as they stared anger incarnate in the face.

One of the guards remembered his gun and shot Harper in the shoulder, but he just kept coming, unfazed by the bullet.

"Now, I know by the very fact that you are still standing, that you must have blocked the machine shop from Rommie's sensors, meaning that you have a portable dampening field generator. I find this to be a good thing, that way I can kill you and she can't stop me," there was now a maniacal gleam in his eyes as he broke his bindings and reached for the guards.

* * *

2 hours later, Harper had finished his 'interrogation' of the three Alacarnians. He left them, barely alive, tied up in the machine shop.

"Rommie, the last three aliens are in the machine shop. Please take them into custody. I'll explain later, right now I need to get to Medical," he told the AI as he started running down the corridor.

"Affirmative, Tyr is on his way now, my avatar will meet you in Medical," she replied.

* * *

In Medical, Harper was busy disconnecting Trance from the monitors, when Rommie walked in.

"Harper? What are you doing to Trance?" She asked as she rushed over to stop the young man.

"Andromeda, avatar override, Harper-Alpha-553-Beta-Echo," Harper said as he saw the android rushing towards him. Upon his utterance of that code, Rommie froze where she was. "I'm sorry Rommie, but I can't have you stop me. I need to do this if I'm going to save Trance. I've already lost 2 hours messing with the Alacarnians, and 2 hours looking for the neuro-transceiver. If I don't get back to Trance within the next 2 hours, she'll die, and I don't want to have to cut it close." He explained as he picked up the purple girl in his arms and carried her out the door.

* * *

Harper gently placed Trance on the bed in his quarters. He had planned on using the cot in the Machine shop, but there were some Alacarnians there now, and he didn't want Trance anywhere near them.

So instead he had opted to use his quarters. His quarters were, as usual, a mess. There was only a walkway leading from the door to the bed, to the bathroom. Harper had many Sparky cans and discarded pieces of various projects scattered across the floor.

Having placed Trance on his bed, Harper lied down beside her and called out to Andromeda.

"Andromeda, engage privacy mode, total override Seamus-331-Gamma-Tau-Episilon."

"Privacy mode engaged, override acknowledged. Only Chief Engineer, Seamus Harper can de-activate privacy mode, all other codes will be ignored," the AI responded.

Nodding to himself, Harper rolled over on top of Trance. He placed the neuro-transceiver on her temple, connecting the data cable from his port to the transceiver, and taking an injector from his pocket injected the sleeping agent into his neck, it was fast working and he was asleep almost instantly.

* * *

"Trance? Trance, I'm back," he yelled, as he once again ran through the darkness towards his friend, who had curled into a tight ball.

"Harper? I knew you'd come, I knew that I only needed to wait," she said weakly.

Kneeling by her side, he gently unrolled her and cradled her in his arms; she was so weak.

"Trance, I'm here. I'm lying on top of you right now. I'm ready to perform the ritual," he said as he pulled her head towards his. "What do I need to do?"

"Nothing, I have to take over. I need you to do as I say," she said as she regained a little strength.

"I'll do anything you say Trance, just tell me what."

"Good, I need you to take off your shirt."

"Uh, what?" He asked, taken back by what she said.

"Harper, trust me and do as I say. Now take off your shirt, I'll explain later," she commanded with the little strength she had left.

Harper complied and removed both his shirts; he then waited for Trance to continue.

"Now Harper, you need to lay beside me."

Harper couldn't believe what she was asking, but he did it, getting used to the strange customs of the ritual. He'd do anything to bring her back. He moved to her side and lay down next to her, their shoulders touching. They both then rolled until they faced each other.

"Now Harper, you only need to do two more things; you need to hold me, hold me to you as tight as you can," he did so, and she continued. "Now, I need you to kiss me and keep kissing me, no matter what happens," she said, as she lay in his arms.

Harper couldn't believe his luck, the only way to save Trance was to lie beside her, half naked and kiss her, he must be dreaming he thought, but all too quickly the reality broke him from his thoughts.

Harper stopped questioning it and kissed her. He let all the feelings that he'd been holding inside come flowing out with the kiss. He could tell that Trance was doing the same.

* * *

Back outside Harper's quarters, Dylan was pounding on the door, trying to get in. He had been informed by Andromeda as to what had happened before Harper had initiated privacy mode.

"Harper, open this door this instant!" He bellowed through the thick steel, there was no response.

"Tyr, see if you can blast the door down." Dylan ordered the Nietzschean.

"Gladly," He said as he charged his Gauss Gun.

"No!" Andromeda said as he fired the gun, the bullet reflecting back towards them, only to be disintegrated by the internal defenses. "Harper set up a dampening field around his door. There is no way that you can blast in. The only way that door will open is when he opens it," Andromeda told the rest of the crew.

"Well, then I guess we wait," Beka said as she sat on the corridor floor and stared at the door, the others joining her.

* * *

In the quarters, Trance and Harper's bodies were starting to glow a soft lavender color; the joining had begun.

Harper and Trance were still locked in their passionate kiss when Harper felt a small tingle start above his stomach.

He was about to pull away when Trance's arms wrapped around his neck, holding him against her, making it impossible to pull away. Giving in, he wrapped his arms around her neck and deepened the kiss, giving Trance a promise of the love that awaited her.

The tingle grew until his entire body was tingling; it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, just a curious one. He would ask her about it later.

As their kiss deepened and their passions grew, so too did the strength of the tingling. It grew until Harper couldn't stand it anymore. He was about to release Trance when her arms slid off his neck and she fell away from him.

"Trance!" He screamed into the darkness that had enveloped her.

Harper was thrown back into his body. He was lying on top of Trance, and in the same position he was when he went under.

He quickly rolled off of her and checked for a pulse, there wasn't one, and she wasn't breathing either. He slowly pulled her into his arms and rocked her back and forth for several minutes. His tears fell unnoticed down his cheeks, landing with soft _plops_ on Trance's face.

Harper was so deep in despair that he didn't notice when Trance began breathing again.

"Harper?" She said softly. He thought he was imagining her voice and hugged her body tighter. "Harper, you can let me go now, I can't breathe," she said as she gathered enough strength to push him away enough to breathe.

"Trance? Trance! I though I'd lost you. You had no pulse and weren't breathing," he told her as he softly kissed her cheeks, and forehead, before finally ending at her lips, preventing her from speaking.

When she could speak, she explained what happened.

"You did lose me Harper, but your love and the strength of your soul pulled me back. We completed the ritual just in time," she said as she stroked his sweaty hair away from his face. "Your love is what saved me, our souls are now joined, forever. We'll always have a bond between us that can never be broken. I want you to know something Harper; I want you to know that I love you. I've always loved you, and I always will. That is why my soul called to you to help me. Because I love you and because I knew that you'd do anything you could to save me."

"Trance, I … I don't know what to say. I know that I love you, but I need to know something. How are our souls connected?" He asked as he absently stroked her beautiful tri-colored hair.

"We will always know how the other is feeling, we can sense each other's emotions. It doesn't matter how far away we are, we'll always know. There is also a mild telepathy, if we are within 200 feet of each other we can communicate telepathically," She paused, and then continued. "Can you sense what I'm feeling right now?" She asked with a smile, the last part having been said in Harper's head.

"Yeah, I can. You want to kiss me now, and forever. Hey, your lips didn't move, I heard you in my mind, cool. Anyway, well Trance, I think that I want that too, I want to kiss you now and forever. Will you marry me Trance?" Harper asked as he stroked his beloved's hair, and caressed her cheek.

"Of course Harper, I couldn't stand not being near you, not now and not ever," she said as her eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you Trance, thank you for making me the happiest man in the universe."

* * *

The door to Harper's quarters opened and he stepped out with Trance in his arms. The others took a collective gasp, thinking she was dead. She looked at them and smiled weakly.

"Andromeda, disengage privacy mode and cancel all overrides, authorization Zelazny-Charlie-9246-Gamma-Echo-Pi. Rommie, I'm bringing Trance into Medical, be ready."

"Understood," came the reply from the avatar over the Comm.

"Harper, what happened?" Dylan asked as Harper started walking down the corridor.

"I'll explain on the way to Medical," Harper told Dylan, as he ran to catch up.

"Ok, so here's the thing, Trance was injured by the Alacarnians. Before you ask, the reason I know what they're called is because they ambushed me in the machine shop, which you know, and they told me why they attacked us. They were going to sell me on the Black Market, it appears as though I am in high demand, but in the end I … subdued them, and Tyr put them in the brig. I then made my way back here and using a medical device I made, I … uh … cured Trance." Harper finished telling Dylan as they entered Medical.

"But what was wrong with her?" Dylan asked.

"I don't know, ask Rommie," Harper said as he put Trance on a bed.

"Rommie, what was wrong with Trance?" Dylan asked her as she ran a scan of Trance. Dylan noticed that Harper was holding Trance's hand and making no signs of letting her go.

"Trance was suffering from a severe concussion with internal bleeding and little brain activity. For all intents and purposes, she was dead. I have no idea how Harper was able to save her, he had engaged privacy mode. The only ones who know are Trance and Harper," Rommie said, turning towards the two.

"Well then, Mr. Harper, how did you save Trance?" Dylan asked as he crossed his arms and stared the younger man down.

"Um, an old Earth remedy?" He said, a blush coloring his cheeks.

"Really? Then I guess you wouldn't mind telling us what that was," Dylan continued to press, Beka and Tyr flanking him, trapping Harper against the bed.

"Aw, come on you guys, you don't really want to know," Harper pleaded; behind him Trance was hardly containing her laughter. "Its not funny Trance, why don't you tell them, huh?"

"Because I was unconscious and have no idea what you did," Trance said innocently, which Harper knew she wasn't, at least not in this case.

Harper continued to try and escape, he looked around and saw his only way out. Quickly jumping over Trance, he landed on the other side and made a break for the door. He was stopped short by Tyr.

"Lemme go, lemme go. I ain't gonna tell ya, and you're not gonna drag it out of me either," He yelled as he struggled in Tyr's grip.

"And why would that be, little man?" Tyr asked as he hoisted Harper off the ground.

"Because you don't need to know, that's why!" He said as Dylan came over to stand next to Tyr.

"No, Mr. Harper, I think we do need to know, Trance almost died, and yet, somehow, without any medical equipment, you saved her life. We know that she's come back from the dead before, and I accept that, but this time is different, some how it just feels different, I can't explain it, but I'm hoping you can. Now, I want you to tell me how, or I may just let Tyr 'escort' you to the brig," The threat didn't go unnoticed, everyone turned towards Dylan in shock, even Trance, Harper just turned white as a sheet.

"Dylan, you can't do that and you know it, Harper wouldn't make it in one piece," Beka said, fearful for the young man's life.

"I know, but it serves as a good motivator," Dylan replied, keeping his eye on Tyr.

Tyr was grinning in anticipation of carrying out Dylan's threat; the little professor would finally learn a few lessons about respect.

"Tyr, drop him," Beka said moving to get between Harper and Tyr. Tyr just grinned down at Beka, still holding Harper. "I said drop him!" Beka said more forcefully.

Seeing that Dylan was going to let Beka have her way, Tyr dropped Harper to the floor.

"Are you ok?" Beka asked, helping the young man to his feet.

"Yeah, thanks Boss," He said, rubbing his neck.

"Good, now spill it, how'd you save Trance?" Beka asked as she grabbed his shoulder, preventing him from bolting.

"Jeez, do you guys ever give up? Fine I'll tell you, but you won't like it," Harper said as his shoulder was released. "But only on one condition."

"And what would that be?" Rommie asked from where she stood near Trance. The young girl was slowly moving off the bed and towards the door.

Harper was aware of Trance moving towards the door. He had been pinned against the far wall by Tyr, their backs towards the door, leaving a clear path for Trance to escape.

Silently, the door slid open, allowing her to slip out unnoticed. Harper then took his own chance to escape.

"Well," he said as he casually walked towards the door, "it's a simple condition really," he continued as he was almost at the door.

"And that would be?" Dylan prompted, loosing patience with Harper's avoidance.

"That would be me, not being here," Harper said as he ran through the opening door. "Andromeda seal Med bay door. Authorization: Seamus Harper, Acting Chief Engineer." He yelled as he ran down the hall after Trance.

"Acknowledged," came the AI's reply.

Harper could faintly hear Dylan yelling his name, but there was no way he was going to stop. As soon as Dylan ordered the door open, he and Trance would be in big trouble, once they figured out that she was gone that is.

* * *

"HARPER!" Dylan yelled as the Med Bay doors closed and locked, separating them from Harper.

"Trance, do you know …" Beka's voice trailed off when she realized that Trance wasn't in Medical any more. "She's gone, Trance is gone," Beka said, drawing the other's attention to the fact.

"Well, that answers one question. Rommie, is there an override on the door?" Dylan asked as the Avatar came forward.

"No, I only need a member of the Command Staff to open it," she told him.

"Well then, open the door Rommie," Dylan ordered.

The door opened and the group entered the corridor.

"Rommie, where are Harper and Trance?" Beka asked as they stood in the corridor.

"They're clearing the Hanger Bay in the _Maru_, there is no way I can stop them now. We need to go to Command. Harper and Trance are hailing us," Rommie reported, upon hearing this, they sprinted to Command.

* * *

"Harper! Trance!" Dylan yelled as their images appeared on the view screen. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Hi Boss," Harper said with a grin and a wave, Trance just smiled. "Well, we're gonna tell you how I saved Trance."

"But why'd you take the _Maru_?" Dylan asked, a little confused. He had assumed that they took the _Maru_ so that they wouldn't have to tell the others.

"We took it so that you wouldn't be able to hurt Harper," Trance said, placing her arms possessively around Harper, startling the entire crew.

"And why would we hurt Harper?" Beka asked, not liking where the conversation was heading.

"Because of the way he saved me," Trance replied, moving to stand in front of Harper, his arms around her waist.

"And how _did_ Harper save you?" Dylan asked with a sigh, getting the feeling that they were going in circles.

"Well, you guys had better sit down, this may take awhile to explain," Harper said from behind Trance.

So, the crew on the Andromeda sat wherever they could, or leaned against a console, waiting for Harper and Trance to explain everything.

Settling themselves into a comfortable position, Harper and Trance sat side by side, their hands joined between them, as they began the story.

"Trance and I have been eating together everyday, as I'm sure you've noticed," Harper began.

"How could we not, you two are inseparable at meal times. Not to mention trying to talk to either of you, don't get me started," Beka said holding up her hand, drawing a laugh from Trance and Harper.

"I had no idea that we were that bad. Did you Trance?" Harper asked, still laughing.

"No, I never realized it was that noticeable." She replied, struggling to contain her own laughter and failing.

"Well, anyway, on with the story," Harper said, suddenly getting his laughter under control.

"Like I said, Trance and I have been eating together for awhile now, and we had planned on having lunch together the same day that she got hurt. I had just met Trance at Medical; we were walking down the corridor towards the Mess Hall, when the Alacarnians ambushed us. Before you ask, I know their name because they did this whole invasion to get me; apparently they were going to sell me on the black market as I explained before. I'm telling you this again to make sure you understand all the circumstances surrounding Trance's injury. The three that you have in the brig are the ones that ambushed me in the Machine Shop, I … uh … took care of them and got back to Trance." Harper said with a shrug, grimacing when his injured shoulder pulled a little. This caught Rommie and Beka's attention right away, but with him on the _Maru_ there was nothing they could do for his shoulder. They'd get him when he came back aboard.

"I stopped long enough to dress my shoulder, they shot me when I fought back, but I still beat them," Harper said as he gingerly touched his shoulder.

"Beat, would not have been the word that I choose," Tyr said, speaking up. Turning towards Dylan and Beka he explained, "When I arrived at the Machine Shop, the aliens were barely conscious and had massive amounts of damage to them. I was surprised that they were still alive. I took them to the brig where the Ship gave them medical attention," Tyr then turned to look at Harper; he expected an answer to his unspoken question, why?

Seeing Tyr and the other's looks he just shrugged and explained the best he could.

"They were responsible for Trance getting hurt, they were keeping me from saving her life, and they wanted to take me away from Andromeda, allowing Trance to die. I couldn't let that happen, she means too much to me, I had to teach them a lesson and get to Trance and save her, which I did," He smiled at the girl beside him, the girl he loved more than life itself. She returned the smile.

"Harper, you almost killed them!" Rommie protested.

"THEY ALMOST KILLED TRANCE!" Harper yelled, standing up from where he sat on the _Maru_. "Remember when you drugged me Rommie? I was serious about killing them, and I would have killed them in the Machine Shop, but I had to get back to Trance. You see I wanted to make them suffer, the way that I was suffering over Trance being hurt, but there wasn't enough time. So I left them, barely alive and returned to Medical to help Trance," His voice had returned to normal, but there was a look in his eyes that told them that they had underestimated the young man and his feelings for Trance.

Sitting back down, Harper continued.

"Now, when I got to Medical I used my override to shut down your avatar. I needed to take Trance somewhere safe and somewhere where we wouldn't be disturbed. I took her to my quarters and initiated another override, this one only I could cancel. Sorry about that Dylan, but I am sure you understand why I did that," His eyes once again showed his true feelings, that he really didn't care what Dylan thought.

"Then, having initiated the overrides, I saved Trance," He finished; he then got a far away look on his face and nodded. He looked questioningly at Trance, when she nodded he continued.

"What I am about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone, ever. Do you understand?" Harper asked, his face growing serious.

"Yes, I understand," Dylan said.

"Me too," came from Beka.

"Understood," was Rommie's reply.

"As do I," was Tyr's reply.

"Good, now we're about to tell you something about Trance's people. When they are badly injured, their souls call out to a loved one to help them survive. The loved one must be asleep in order to help. When they're asleep they are taken to a black place, her people simply call 'the place'," Harper said, stopping so that Trance could pick up the telling.

"My people use 'the place' to perform a ritual, which can be very dangerous if done incorrectly. Many have died along with their loved ones from the ritual going wrong. There is a problem with the place, if one of my people enters it and they aren't out in 12 hours, they die. I was in there for almost the full twelve hours when Harper saved me. The ritual requires the joining of the two souls, my soul instinctively called out to Harper to help me, it was lucky that you sedated him when you did Rommie, that's when he learned how to help me. I told Harper about the joining and he asked what he needed to do, I told him that we have to be physically touching, chest to chest. The reason for that is so that the two souls may join together and save the injured person. The contact allows the souls to touch and merge, for in the chest is the seat of the soul, the heart." She said, tired by the retelling, she leaned her head against Harper's shoulder; he placed his hand gently on her cheek and turned back to the view screen.

"So, now you know, that's why I didn't want to be on Andromeda when we told you. You would think that I just used it as an excuse to be alone with Trance. Don't deny it, I know you better than that, you guys don't trust me with Trance, sure you'll let us be best friends, but if its anything more than that, you'd try and stop us," he accused them.

Beka, Rommie, and Dylan all looked ashamed, knowing that he was right; they would try to stop them.

Dylan was first to recover, looking straight ahead into the view screen.

"Mr. Harper, I am pleased that you told us what happened. I want you to know that you're right, we would have tried to stop you, for that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not trusting you enough."

"Thank you Dylan, that means a lot," Harper said as he gently stroked Trance's face. His eyes once again took on a faraway look as he glanced at Trance.

"Dylan," she said, taking her head off Harper's shoulder, "there's something else you should know." She looked to Harper for help on telling this next part.

"And that would be?" Dylan gently prompted the young girl.

"Um, Harper and I … um, we sorta…" She was cut off as Dylan finished the sentence for her.

"You what? You slept together? It that what you're trying to say Trance?" Dylan asked, his face reddening slightly in anger.

At Dylan's words all eyes were on the young couple, whose jaws had dropped to the ground.

As Harper and Trance sat silently on the _Maru_, in complete and utter shock, Beka was getting angry with the two.

"Well, did you?" Beka asked as her full anger turned towards the couple.

"No, Beka, no. Hey it's me Harper, ok, bad example, but this is Trance, remember her? Innocent as the day is long?" Harper heard Trance's mental laugh and he tried not to grin, almost failing. He tried to calm the irate captain. "Hey, I may be the Exalted Love God, but there is no way I'd ever take advantage of her like that."

_Do you think that helped?_ Harper asked Trance telepathically, still getting used to the ability.

_I don't know, if not then we may have to take the __Maru__ and find a nice drift somewhere, and wait her out._ Trance told him with a laugh in her mental voice. 

_Sounds good to me, let's go,_ he said with a smile in his eyes. Out loud he continued to try and calm Beka.

"Beka, please calm down, Trance and I would like to return to _Andromeda_ sometime today," Harper pleaded with her. "Come on, I really need a Sparky after today."

"Oh, you'll get a Sparky alright. Then Trance can take care of you in Medical," Beka stormed at her engineer.

'How could he do something like this to Trance. When he sets foot on this ship I'm gonna let him have it,' Beka fumed in her mind.

"Mr. Harper, I would be grateful if you and Trance would return to the ship now. Don't worry about Beka, she'll have calmed down by then," Dylan assured the stranded couple.

"Ok, if you say so. I'm bringing her in. _Maru_ out." With that Harper closed the Comm.

Beka's fury was now focused on Dylan.

"What do you mean I'll be calm by then? There is no way I'll be calm, I'm gonna kill him. He can't do that to her, I wont let him," she continued to rant.

"Beka, calm down. I really don't think they slept together. I believe him when he says he wouldn't hurt her like that. Besides, if you don't calm down I'll have Tyr confine you to quarters," Dylan warned.

"Fine, I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

With that she stormed off Command and headed to her quarters.

"Rommie, keep a droid by her door and monitor her at all times. I'm afraid that she will hurt Harper if she gets a chance to," Dylan said with a sigh.

"Aye sir," Was her only reply.

Dylan noticed that Tyr was smiling.

"What's so funny Tyr?" Dylan asked the other man.

"Her reaction to the little professor and the purple one's revelation. She considers them to be her children, did you know that?" Tyr asked, still amused.

"No I didn't know that," Dylan admitted, shocked at finding out this revelation, from Tyr of all people.

"Then I also guess that you've failed to understand her reaction." At Dylan's confused look, Tyr's smile grew as he continued, "Captain, what if you found out that your son and daughter held romantic feelings, beyond that of siblings, for each other?"

At Dylan's shocked and then embarrassed expression Tyr let loose the laughter he was holding inside.

"Now I understand why she wanted to kill him," Dylan admitted as he leaned against a console for support, the beginnings of laughter stealing his strength.

"Now you see why her reaction was so humorous," Tyr told the laughing Captain.

"Indeed I do Tyr, indeed I do," Dylan replied as he got his laughter under control, barely.

"Good, now if you'll excuse me I have a few things to take care of," Tyr then walked out the doors and down the corridor, leaving Dylan in confusion.

"Rommie, where is Tyr heading?" Dylan asked when the doors had closed.

"He is on his way to Beka's quarters, it appears as though he plans to stand guard," The avatar replied, crossing her arms.

"Keeping her in, or us out?" Dylan thought out loud. "Don't answer that Rommie, I really don't want to know. What's the status on the _Maru_?"

"Harper and Trance have just docked, they are asking about Beka," Rommie replied with an amused tone.

"What are they asking about Beka?" Dylan asking, thinking that he already knew but wanting to hear it out loud.

"They want to know if she is on her way to kill Harper and deprive Trance of her best friend and love."

Dylan let out a laugh, unable to control it any more.

"That's pretty much what I thought. Tell them that Beka is confined to quarters and poses no threat to either of them."

"Aye sir," was Rommie's only reply as she turned away smiling.

* * *

"I know Rommie said she wasn't here, but I just want to make sure," Harper said as he scanned the Hanger Bay with the _Maru's_ sensors.

"I don't think she was serious about killing you," Trance said as Harper finished the scan and having found nothing, moved to her side.

"I don't know Trance, she seemed out for blood," Harper said as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and his arm around her waist. They then walked towards the airlock and the ramp off the _Maru_.

When they reached the floor of the Hanger Bay, Dylan was there to meet them.

"Harper, Trance, we need to have a talk, walk with me," Dylan led the way from the room.

As Harper and Trance fell in behind Dylan, they wondered what he wanted to talk about.

_So, what do you think he wants?_ Harper mentally asked Trance.

_I don't know, but we'll find out soon, we're almost to the Mess Hall._

_Hey maybe I can get a Sparky!_ Harper said cheerfully.

_Maybe_, she replied with a smile.

"What are you two grinning about?" Dylan asked as he turned to look at the two.

"Nothing, just a private joke." Harper told him. Trance laughed in his head, the smile still on her face.

Dylan was curious, but he tried to hide it. By the time he had his curiosity under control, they were in the Mess Hall moving towards a table.

"Sit down, I'll get the drinks," Dylan said as Harper and Trance sat, "so, what do you want?"

"I'd like a Sparky, please," Harper said, adding the please after Trance mentally told him too. He looked over at her and saw her jump a bit then look his way.

"I'd like some juice please." She said, still glaring at Harper. Dylan nodded and moved to get the drinks. As soon as Dylan had moved away, Trance hit Harper in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" He asked with a grin, trying to play innocent, an act that only worked for her.

"You know very well what it was for," Trance chastised, struggling to keep from grinning.

"Well, if you liked that you'll love this!" Harper said as he sent Trance a mental picture of her in a purple bikini. She retaliated by sending him an image of his head on a Magog body; the war was on.

For several minutes they sent images of the other back and forth. Finally, when Dylan was on his way back, Harper sent a white flag. He surrendered, for now.

"You two have been awfully quiet, anything wrong?" He asked as he set the drinks on the table.

"No, why do you ask?" Trance asked innocently, pulling it off. Harper just rolled his eyes. She mentally slapped him up side the head and he just grinned.

"You've been sitting here, not making a sound since we got here," Dylan said as he sat down across from them. "Now, will you two please explain to me what really happened?"

"Um … sure Dylan, Rommie engage privacy mode and lock the Mess Hall doors, please," Trance asked.

"Engaging privacy mode," came the reply.

"Ok, you have privacy mode, the doors are locked, and this will stay between you, me, Harper and the wall," Dylan said after Rommie's acknowledgement. "Now spill it!"

"The ritual that Harper and I performed was very dangerous. If anything had gone wrong, Harper would have died along with me," Trance told the stunned Captain.

"We could have lost both of you?" Dylan asked, switching his gaze between the two.

"Yes, fortunately nothing happened, the ritual went perfectly," Trance replied with a nod.

"I knew that I could have died and I didn't care. I couldn't stand the thought of living my life without Trance; I was willing to die to save her life. Dylan, I love Trance with all my heart and soul," Harper said as he took hold of Trance's hand and squeezed it.

Dylan nodded his understanding and took a sip of his drink.

"I understand that Harper, I know that you'd do anything to keep her safe. I'd do the same thing. But there is one question that hasn't been answered; how did the ritual save Trance's life?" Dylan asked with a look at the young lovers sitting before him.

"We were getting to that," Harper said with a small grin and a look, which Dylan couldn't understand, for Trance.

_We should tell him the truth, Trance. He deserves to hear it._

She nodded her understanding and started to explain.

"Dylan, there's more we need to tell you. You asked how the ritual saved me? Well that's complicated, but we'll try to explain," Trance took a deep breath before continuing. "The ritual takes two souls and joins them together, forever. There's more to it than that, I'll try to explain. It's not just any soul, the one that's dying reaches out to find their soul mate. Their soul reaches out and finds the one person in the entire universe that matches theirs, the one that completes them. Someone once said that 'friendship is two souls sharing the same body,' that is what the ritual does. There are a few side effects to the joining, aside from the two souls each sharing a piece of the other."

Harper picked up the story before Dylan could interrupt.

"The side effects are permanent too, before you ask what they are I'll tell you. Trance and I can fell each other's emotions, but we can also talk telepathically. So we're now empathic telepaths, but we can only talk to each other. That's about all the side effects there are, I think," Harper looked over to Trance for confirmation.

"That's all there are, but that's more than enough for most who undergo the ritual. I'll explain the way it works, or the way my people understand it to work. The ritual requires a physical contact between two people, normally a chest-to-chest contact. This allows the souls to join and bond, the reason the doors were locked is that if the ritual is interrupted, then one or both may die. I can't explain how it works, but somehow the souls join and the connection is made, the injured or sick person is saved. The danger is if anything interrupts the ritual then, like I said, both can die. There is also a compatibility issue, the ritual had never been performed by anyone not of my species, so Harper's soul could have been rejected by mine, then we both would have died. Since Harper's soul wasn't rejected, we both lived, this is the first time the ritual has been performed with another species," Trance finished. Exhausted, she took a sip of her drink.

"Wow, I'm … stunned. That was a very brave thing you did, Harper. To think that we could have lost both of you in one fell swoop," Dylan told the young man.

"I did it because I love Trance and I couldn't bear to live my life without her," Harper said as he took Trance's hand and kissed it, causing her to blushed slightly.

_Harper, we need to tell Dylan about getting married_, Trance told him.

_You're right, Trance. Let's tell him_, Harper replied.

"Um, Dylan? There's something else we need to tell you, Trance and I are engaged."

"What?" Dylan asked, not sure that he heard correctly. "Say that again, please."

"Trance and I are engaged to be married, we want to spend the rest of our lives together," Harper told the Captain.

"I knew this day would come, I knew that one day you two would realize just how much you love each other. I am so happy for you two, so, when is the wedding?" Dylan asked, leaning across the table conspiratorially.

"We haven't decided yet, a few months I guess," Trance told him.

"We do know that we want Rev to be best man and Beka to be maid of honor," Harper added.

"Beka? Oh no, I almost forgot. You two need to avoid Beka for awhile, she may try to kill Harper if she sees you," Dylan said as he rubbed his neck, he really didn't know how to tell them about Beka's reaction. "She kind of views you two as her kids, and when she found out that you two were in love, she kind of … freaked. She views your relationship as somewhat incestuous you know, brother and sister."

Dylan explained in a rush, anticipating a reaction, but not the one he received.

When Harper and Trance heard the news about Beka, they both broke out in fits of laughter.

"You were right, Trance, she does view us as her children, I owe you dinner at the next drift." Harper said through his laughter.

"I told you she was getting too nosy about all the time we spend together," Trance said, struggling to get words through her own laughter.

"You two had an idea that this would happen?" Dylan asked, surprised to learn that they had, apparently, anticipated Beka's reaction.

"When you've spent as much time with Beka as we have, you learn to know what she's thinking before she does. It makes running for our lives easier, we already know what she'll ask for, and do," Harper replied as he and Trance regained their breath.

"So how will you tell Beka about the engagement?" Dylan asked, his curiosity running rampant.

"When she calms down enough to not kill Harper. If she does kill him, I'll have to kill her, and I like her too much to do that," Trance said with a set look upon her face.

"You're serious aren't you?" Dylan asked, concerned that Trance really would kill Beka if she killed Harper.

"One hundred percent, if Harper dies, then I won't be able to go on living. My body would slowly shut down until I slip into a coma and die. Our lives are now tied together, if I die then Harper will slip into a coma and die, just as I would have. Our souls have become dependant on each other, we need the other to stay alive, to complete us. That's why I'd kill Beka, because I'd already be dead, or as good as," she explained.

"I see, I think I'll warn Beka not to hurt Harper. Three dead bodies would really smell up the ship," Dylan tried to lighten the mood with a very bad joke.

"Dylan, would you do the honors of marrying us?" Harper asked as he finished off his Sparky. Trance had finished her juice a few minutes earlier.

"I'd be honored to Harper, thank you for asking," Dylan said with a touch of pride in his voice.

"No problem, now if we're done here, Trance and I need to get to work. We've got a lot of work to catch up on," Harper and Trance then rose and moved towards the still locked doors.

"Andromeda, please unlock the Mess Hall doors and disengage privacy mode," Harper commanded as they reached the doors.

"Affirmative," was the AI's reply. Harper and Trance then left the Mess Hall, leaving Dylan alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Three months later, the day had finally arrived. Today is the day that Harper and Trance were going to be married.

This day had almost not happened, but, thanks to Tyr, it would.

Three months prior, it had taken a few hours to calm Beka down and have some sense talked into her, but Tyr had finally managed to do it. Now here he was, sitting on her bed, her sleeping form cradled in his arms.

After leaving Dylan on Command he had made his way here, to Beka's quarters onboard Andromeda. She had let him in as soon as she heard his voice. She needed to vent her frustration on someone.

"Can you believe them!" she began, hardly letting Tyr get a foot into the room.

"I mean they're almost family, they are family, my family. Family doesn't fall in love with each other, not like that. I mean they're brother and sister," Beka continued to rant as Tyr took up residence on the edge of her bed, his back against the headboard and one leg hanging off the side.

"Beka, they are not brother and sister, they are best friends, there is a difference," Tyr tried to reason with her, his voice calm.

"Not to me there isn't!" Beka yelled, turning on the Nietzschean where he sat. "They don't have the right to fall in love with each other, it's not right, it's unnatural."

"And who decides this, you?"

"Damn straight I do! They're still my crew and I'm still their Captain, I decide what's best for them. What's best is them not being a couple."

"All because you forbid it?" Tyr asked, trying to get Beka to come to terms with the fact that Trance and Harper were in love.

"Yeah, they owe me. I took Harper off Earth, saved him from some horrible death I can't imagine. I picked Trance up on some drift, picking pockets. I took them away from that and gave them a job, a place to stay and food to eat," Beka started to pace, her anger being channeled into nervous energy.

"Beka, there is an old earth saying; '_E Amicitia Appareo Amor; Ac E Amor Appareo Amicitia,_' From friendship comes love; And from Love comes Friendship. It's an ancient Latin saying that I believe applies rather well to their situation."

"Screw you and your sayings, I don't need to hear them. I only need to make them see that they can't marry; it wouldn't be right," Beka's voice was sounding tired. She was loosing her energy, fast.

"Why is it not right for them to marry, and who said that they were going to marry? I don't recall them saying that. However, if that is what they truly wish, why is it wrong?" Tyr asked, the epitome of reason and sanity.

"Because… because I say it is."

"So, you saying that it is wrong for them to marry makes it true?" Tyr gave a short bark of laughter. "If that is the case then would you be so kind as to tell the Drago-Kavoz that Andromeda is out for the good of the universe and that they waste their time fighting us. I'm sure, coming from you they'll listen."

Beka didn't know how to respond to the sarcasm dripping from his voice, so she threw herself onto the bed and started pounding on his chest.

"Damn you, why can't you see it my way, why can't you see the way it has to be?" Beka asked as the tears started to fill her eyes, her blows loosing strength with each hit.

"Why can't you see the way that it is and will be?" Tyr asked, his voice the gentlest that Beka had ever heard it. "Harper loves Trance, and she loves him. That's the way it is and nothing you can do will stop it."

She knew that he was right. She started sobbing and buried her head in his chest. She couldn't stand the thought that if they were married neither of them would need her any more; they would have each other to solve their problems and Beka would be left behind.

Tyr just wrapped his arms around Beka and let her cry. She needed to release the pain.

"If they get married, they won't need me anymore. I've always been there to help them when they needed it and now they won't need me." Beka sobbed.

Tyr finally understood the real reason she didn't want them to marry she didn't want them to leave her alone.

"Beka," he said lifting her head so he could see her eyes, "they won't leave you, they love as they would their mother, you are the only family they have besides each other. Even if they do marry, they will still need you. If they have children they will need someone to watch them."

Beka gave a small laugh and wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"Yeah, I can see myself now, Grandma Beka taking care of the kids while mom and dad are at work."

Beka then crawled beside Tyr and placed her head on his shoulder, cuddling into his side, completely exhausted.

"Thank you for talking to me Tyr. I really needed it."

"It was my pleasure, my lady. Sleep now, you'll need your strength, Dylan will wish to talk to you," At Beka's start, Tyr placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the bed beside him. "Sleep now, talk to Dylan later. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Thank you Tyr," Beka said with a yawn. Nestling into the man beside her, she was instantly asleep.

Several minutes later, Dylan called to tell Beka about Harper and Trance's engagement. Tyr explained his presence and what had happened with Beka. He promised to tell Beka when she awoke.

Hours later, Tyr was still holding Beka when he felt himself start to fall asleep. Giving in, he slept peacefully, Beka in his arms.

* * *

Back in the present, Trance touched the soft satin of her cream colored wedding gown. Beka really had a good eye for color; she had found a dress color that enhanced the lavender color of her skin.

Her hand then went to the simple silver ring on her finger.

Harper had given her the ring a month after they 'announced' their engagement. He had been on a parts run to a drift, gathering various parts for both Andromeda and the Maru. When he returned hours later, he had hunted her down and given it to her.

"Hey Trance, can I talk to you?" Harper asked as he entered Hydroponics, having finally tracked her there.

"Sure Harper, what's up?" She asked as he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, when I was on the drift I stopped by a jeweler and picked something up for you," He told her, releasing his grip and stepping back. She instantly missed the warmth of his body next to hers.

She held her breath as he removed a ring box from his pocket.

"We've been so busy making repairs and fighting off the Dragans, that I haven't had time to give you this," He opened the box, revealing a simple silver engagement ring with a stone of amethyst set into it. "It's an engagement ring, Trance. When I saw it I just thought of you and had to get it."

Trance released her breath as he slid the ring onto her finger and gently kissed her cheek. He stood there, still holding her hand, waiting.

"I love it Harper, it's so beautiful, thank you so much," She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the lips, surprising him. His arms were instantly around her waist, holding the kiss for as long as he could. Finally he set her down and stared into her eyes.

"I'm glad you like it Trance, I really am. I've gotta get back to work now. I just wanted to give you this," He said as he slowly pulled away from Trance. He left looking back at her the entire time.

She stared at the closed doors for several minutes before going back to her plants.

Trance smiled at the memory as she put the veil on her head. She was ready to get married.

'I wonder if Harper's ready yet?' she thought to herself. 'I know, I'll ask him.'

_Harper?_ she called to his mind, hoping he was close enough to hear her.

_Yeah?_ came his reply.

_Where are you?_

_The deck above you, getting dressed and trying not to be suffocated by this tie_, he replied as he sent a mental image of him tying a tie and nearly hanging himself in the process. She had to giggle at the image.

_So I guess that you're almost ready?_ she asked shyly.

_Fortunately I am, the sooner we get married, the sooner I can get this tie off. If I suffocate during the wedding I'm holding Dylan responsible, this stupid tie was his idea_, Harper said with a mental snort.

_Well, I'm ready, let's go get married_, she suggested as though she were talking about going to Hydroponics. Harper grinned mentally and physically.

_Sounds good to me, I'll meet you there_, he replied with a mental kiss. 

So, having finished dressing, they left their respective rooms and made their ways to Hydroponics.

* * *

Hydroponics was decorated with flowering garlands and wreathes. There were only a few chairs set out for the crew and a few 'close friends'.

The close friends were mainly comprised of the remainder of the crew, but there were a few others who were in attendance. These people were mainly 'friends' that Harper and Trance had made while working salvage.

As the guests were seating themselves, Rommie surveyed the assembled with disdain.

"Some of these people are wanted criminals, Dylan." She told her Captain as he stood beside her waiting for the guests to be seated.

"I know that Rommie, but they're Harper and Trance's friends, so we can't have them arrested not yet anyway." But then a thought struck Dylan. "Um, have the Maria's hide the good silverware and china, just to be safe."

"Understood," she replied, silently making a list of the wanted persons to send to the respective authorities after the wedding. Nodding to Dylan she signaled that the Maria's were already removing the requested items.

"Rommie, where are Harper and Trance?" Dylan asked after several minutes.

"They are almost here. I've sent Beka and Tyr to escort them separately, tradition and all that."

"Understood, tell me when they get here."

"Harper is here, Sir. Tyr is escorting him to the altar, perhaps you should head there yourself," she suggested.

"A very good idea, Rommie. See you later," he said with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

As Dylan moved towards the altar, Rommie thought how pleasant his touch had felt.

"Mr. Harper, how are you doing?" Dylan asked as he came up behind the young man.

"Fine, considering this is the biggest moment of my life and I'm almost sweating buckets," Harper said as he nervously adjusted his tie.

"Stop fussing with that, Boy," Tyr said as he pushed Harper's hands away from his tie.

"You must be calm, Master Harper, this is a big day for you and Trance," Rev said from Harper's elbow.

Harper just sighed and looked at the two men.

"Thanks guys, I know you mean well, but I'm just nervous, that's all."

"That is understandable, you are going to get married today," Rev repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

"I know, I know, I know. Deep breath now Harper, in…" he breathed in deeply, "and out." He exhaled.

"That's good, Boy, keep it up and you'll be fine," Tyr said as he moved back to his position. While Harper did ask Rev to be his best man, he couldn't exclude Tyr, so Harper asked him to be his co-Best man.

"Yes, Master Harper, remain calm and you'll be fine," Rev added with a pat.

"Calm, yeah, you try being calm when you're about to marry an enigma with a tail," At Tyr's scowl, Harper took a deep breath. "Right, I can do this, no problem, I am calm."

Dylan just grinned as he took his place at the altar.

"Mr. Harper, you'll be fine, don't worry."

"Yeah, sure boss, you got it," Harper said, nervously.

"Dylan," Rommie said as her hologram appeared beside Dylan. "Trance and Beka are here and ready to begin."

"Very good Rommie, start the music please."

Rommie just nodded as the Bridal March began to play. Her hologram faded away while everyone turned towards the door.

_Deep breath Harper, I don't want you to pass out on me_, Trance said in his head.

_Fat chance of that, I wouldn't miss this for the world_, he replied while taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.

Harper had his eyes on the door when they opened. In walked Beka dropping flower petals on the ground behind her.

Following on Beka's heels was Trance, resplendent in her cream dress. A purple flower tucked behind her left ear, the veil was covering her face, only allowing the slightest hint of color to seep through. The most noticeable thing was the fact the her engagement ring had made it's way to her right hand, still visible to the universe, still telling how much Harper loved her.

As she approached the altar, she could feel the butterflies threatening to escape, and, through her link with Harper, she could feel the same thing from him.

Taking Harper's hand in hers, they both turned towards Dylan.

"At the request of the Bride and Groom, we are going to forgo a 'traditional' wedding, mainly due to the fact that they themselves aren't traditional." There was a small pause as the audience chuckled amongst themselves, Dylan continued, "So, in light of me going on in a long ceremony, I will be brief."

"It is rare, in a life as hard as the one that Harper has led, to find a love that you would give your life to protect theirs. Yet that is what Harper has found in Trance. The same can be said about Trance, even though we don't know her history, we can assume that she has seen things in her life that could rival those of Harper. But she too has found a love that she would die for in Harper. They share a bond that's unique and can never be broken, may you both have a happy life together, and they will now exchange vows which they have written themselves." Dylan then stepped to the side, allowing Trance and Harper to be the focus.

"Trance, what can I say about you, you're everything anybody could want. You're always happy, quick with a smile, always there to make me feel better when I'm sick. You're the shining light in the universe, the Affirming Flame that shines through the 'Long Night.' You're the love of my life, and I would do anything to keep you safe, even die for you."

Trance was silent a moment before she began speaking, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to choke her breathing.

"Harper, words cannot describe the way I feel about you, the way it feels when you take my hand. The way it feels when you smile at me, or how your touches are like fire on my skin. I cannot describe all the emotions that I feel when I am near you, but there is one that is so strong that it overpowers the others, love. I love taking care of you when you're sick, you make the universe worth living in. Despite all the hardships, I know that we'll always have each other, no matter what the future may bring."

When she finished, Trance stood there, holding Harper's hands and staring into his eyes. Dylan stepped forward to conclude the ceremony.

"By the admissions of their own love, I can see no reason not to marry these two. By the powers vested in me by the Systems Commonwealth, I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride."

As they kissed, there was a massive 'hurray' from the assembled. Pulling apart, the newlyweds were grinning like children as they moved towards the reception held in Obs. Deck.

* * *

As the quests arrived in Obs. deck, the Maria's were finishing the preparations. There was a buffet with various delicacies from around the known worlds, something for everyone.

Entering hand in hand, Harper and Trance saw the food on the table next to the wedding cake. Smiling to each other they went to the table and took two flutes of champagne and moved to a table set nearby.

_So, Trance, how does it feel to be married?_ Harper asked her.

_It's indescribable, Harper, I've never been so happy in my entire life_, she replied, a joyous smile spread across her mental voice.

_If you're happy now, wait till after the reception. I have something I want to give you when we're alone._

_HARPER!_ Her tone was shocked mixed with a little playfulness.

_Relax, it's not what you think, you'll see what it is when we're done here._

_Ok, will I like it?_ she asked innocently.

_I guarantee you'll love it_, he replied with a smile.

"So, what are you two talking about?" Dylan asked as he and Rommie approached the table, champagne in hand.

"I was telling Trance about something I wanna give her after the reception," Harper said with a wink at Dylan.

"Ah, I see, carry on Mr. And Mrs. Harper," With that Dylan dragged Rommie away, knowing that the avatar would try to question Harper as to what he meant.

"Dylan, what did Harper mean by that wink?" she asked when they were away out of earshot of the couple.

"He had me pull some strings to get her a pendant made, from some very rare metals," He explained as they mingled.

"What is the pendant of?"

"That tattoo on Trance's shoulder. Harper made a drawing of it and had a metalsmith and jeweler make a replica from precious metals and gems; it cost him a small fortune. It's a perfect replica, smiley face and all."

"I see, I hope she likes it."

"I'm sure she will Rommie, I'm sure she will. Have I told you how lovely you look tonight?"

Rommie just laughed as they continued to mingle.

A few minutes later, Dylan called everyone to attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. The newlyweds will now cut the cake."

As one, Harper and Trance approached the purple and white iced cake. Someone had mentioned that it was a plum flavored cake.

Taking the knife in their joined hands, Harper and Trance prepared to cut the cake. As the knife slid through the frosting and into the cake itself, Harper was struck by how lucky he was to be having this wedding and that maybe the Divine did like him.

Placing a piece on a plate they took turns feeding part of it to the other. When that was finished Rommie took over and cut the cake into portions for the assembled.

* * *

Half an hour later, Harper and Trance managed to slip away to their new quarters, specially built for them.

When they reached the threshold Harper picked her up and carried her across in the age-old tradition.

Gently setting her on the bed, Harper straightened and just looked at her.

"What is it Harper?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I was just thinking how I don't deserve someone like you, and that now you're stuck with me."

"I don't feel that I'm stuck with you. If I did I wouldn't have married you."

"Good point, stay right there, Trance. I wanna give you something," He said as he disappeared into the room that would serve as a small workshop, assuming Trance would let him work at home.

Reappearing less than a minute later, Trance was surprised to see a small black box in his hand.

"Here Trance, this is for you," He said as he handed the box to her.

"What is it?" She asked as she opened it. When she did she let out a gasp. "Harper, it's… it's so beautiful, thank you."

"It's your tattoo, Trance, smiley face and all. I though you might like a token of my love for you," He said as he removed the pendant from the box and fastened it around her throat.

"I love it Harper, nobody has ever given me anything like this ever before."

"Well, what can I say…" He was cut off as Trance threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and forcing him to the bed, the box laying forgotten on the floor. "Hey, be nice."

Smiling as though they were just given the best gift in the universe, they began their life together, not caring what the future would bring.

* * *

_____Fin_


End file.
